potluck

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

I love a good broccoli salad and I am not afraid of mayo.

But I know many people who aren’t as in love with the condiment as I am. And that’s okay.

I settled on bringing broccoli salad to Easter dinner as my contribution. I was going to use my go-to recipe, which involves pasta, but then I found a non-mayo recipe on Pinterest. Those stalkers knew just what I would like!

My favorite thing about this broccoli salad is that there’s lots of fruit involved – apples, blueberries, and cranberries! The poppy seed dressing is sweet and tangy and a perfect compliment to both veggie and fruit. It gets bonus points for sunflower seeds.

I’m sharing the recipe today with some other Festive Foodie bloggers in honor of National Picnic Day, which is today April 23rd. I think this salad would be great for any picnic or potluck!

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 small heads broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 large apple, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 C blueberries
  • 1/2 C dried cranberries
  • 1/4 C sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 C diced red onion
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided use
  • 1 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, apple, blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and red onion with 1 tbsp lemon juice.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, remaining lemon juice, poppy seeds, and vinegar.
  3. Pour dressing over salad to taste (I had a little dressing leftover) and serve.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristine at https://kristineskitchenblog.com/no-mayo-broccoli-salad-blueberries-apple/ *

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing for National Picnic Day from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other great picnic worthy recipes:

Asian Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Bánh Mì + A Wine Suggestion by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken BLT Shaker Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Deviled Eggs with Horseradish and Dill by Palatable Pastime

Florida Stone Crab Claws with Key Lime Mustard Dipping Sauce by Family Around the Table

Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad by Books n’ Cooks

Marinated Three Bean Salad by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Roasted Corn Salad with Chile Vinaigrette by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Southern Crispy Oven Fried Chicken by Everyday Eileen

 Thank you, Ellen of Family Around the Table, for hosting this National Picnic Day event.

CIC: Breakfast Sausage & Cinnamon

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

CIC-header

I’m {finally} back with another Crazy Ingredient Challenge!

This month’s mission: to combine breakfast sausage and cinnamon.

I wasn’t too terribly creative with my idea this time around – I stuck with breakfast.

Originally I thought of some form of sweet and savory bread pudding but then I happened upon pancake muffins. Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

They’re kind of like the breakfast version of pigs in a blanket.

I brought these fun muffins to a church potluck. I did have a few leftover to bring back home – without a label for the dish, I’m not sure people really knew what they were. Those that did eat them, sought me out to compliment me and suggest I bring them to every potluck.img_2203

Firecracker ate about 2 of them there but wouldn’t touch them at home. He said, “I liked them at the church party, but not here.” Kids can say the funniest things!

When I have breakfast sausage or bacon I always dip it into my syrup, so I highly encourage you to serve these pancake muffins warm with a drizzle of syrup.

This recipe makes 5-6 dozen mini pancake muffins.

Mini Pancake Muffins with Sausage

Ingredients:

  • 3 C flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • breakfast sausage, cooked and chopped

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease mini muffin tin.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
  4. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Place a piece of breakfast sausage into the batter.
  6. Bake 11-12 minutes. Serve with syrup.

*This recipe is modified from Ree at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/pancake-mini-muffins/*

Mini Pancake Muffins with Sausage for #CrazyIngredientChallenge from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

Three Bean Salad

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

You guys, I have a story to share.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with the side dish I’m sharing with you. A dish that’s perfect for potlucks and looks like summer.

Today was a rough day. Tempers were running both short and high. The day started 45 minutes too early (when you have two energetic little boys at home, that 45 minutes is precious!), the broken garage door (full story on that Sunday) was being uncooperative putting me in a bad mood I couldn’t snap out of, and naps were not taken. My 2 year old didn’t listen even a little bit at the playground, and I have a “three strikes you’re out” rule which cut our trip quite short.

IMG_2621

When we got home all he wanted to do was play in his Duck Pond Water Table patio. I told him he had to prove to me that he could listen. He was charged with going into his room, getting a book, and sitting still while I read to him. My kid came back with a Chick-fil-A kid’s meal board book – a 4 sentence novel! FullSizeRender (1)Seriously, is my child that smart or was it simply coincidental? After some time playing in the water the boys had their first shared bath. Firecracker asked for dinner, which he didn’t eat. Treat was fussy, so I assumed he was also hungry (he did eat). At 6:20pm both boys were asleep at the table. Thankfully my husband was on his way home and I didn’t have to figure out how I was going to wriggle us out of our position. (See photo. –>)

It’s now 9pm and the boys are still sleeping in their beds! I’m a little nervous for what that means my tomorrow will look like. But I’m grateful for the date my husband and I ended up getting. We cooked dinner together and ate it on the patio. We then shared the kitchen clean up, and watched non-cartoon television. Ah, the exciting life of parents of young children.

Firecracker ended up waking around 9:30. He needed to come upstairs for a cup of water and to watch his nighttime programming. He then snuggled in our bed for a little bit before asking to go lay down in his room. Treat stayed asleep until his typical midnight awakening, and 4, and both were up between 6-6:30.

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb fresh green beans, cut in 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bell pepper, diced (I used a combination of orange and red)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used Gourmet Garden lightly dried parsley)
  • 1/4 C + 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 C canola oil
  • 3 tbsp agave

Steps: 

  1. Cook green beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved. Drain and place the beans in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain.
  2. Toss green beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl.
  3. In a measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and agave. Season to taste with S+P. Dress bean salad with as much dressing as desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Marcie at http://flavorthemoments.com/fresh-and-easy-three-bean-salad/*

Three Bean Salad - Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Book Club Potluck Party

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

To go with a “back to school” vibe for our Recipe Club gathering I thought it would be fun to bring a dish inspired by a book.

I actually got the idea from my mom. My mom is in a book club and the members all take turns hosting. Whenever it’s my mom’s turn to host she comes to me for ideas – not that I read the books.

For my contribution I obviously had to go with a Harry Potter inspired dish! For my birthday one year I received The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and the time had come to break it out!

Cornish Pasties jumped out at me as the perfect option. The only problem was the time commitment required for preparation. Mainly because the weekend before we were going to be out of town visiting my brother. I decided on making the pasties before we left and freezing them. Then all I’d have to do on Recipe Club day would be to bake them. Unfortunately, my pastry dough was a big fail. I froze the filling to deal with when we returned from vacation. The “no time” solution was to put it in a pre-made pie crust and serve one big Cornish Pasty Pie. I’m happy to say this variation was still a success! Unfortunately it didn’t make for the prettiest entree as freezing the potatoes turned them brown, but the flavor and texture was still there.

Scroll past my recipe for a list of the other literary inspired recipes that completed our meal! (Yes, we actually had a complete meal this time, unlike our 5 ingredients or less potluck.)

This recipe makes 2 pies. You can freeze one of them for a later date.

Cornish Pasty Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chuck steak, finely diced
  • 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 4 frozen pie crust shells

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl combine beef, potatoes, carrots, and onion. Season liberally with S+P.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Thaw pie crust according to package directions, allowing 2 of them to flatten to be turned into the top of the pie.
  3. Fill two of the pie crusts with half of the Cornish pasty filling each. Top with the flattened pie crust and cut slits in the top. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake 1 hour. Uncover pies and bake another 5-10 minutes, until golden.

*This recipe is adapted from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook*

Recipes Inspired by Literature | Sew You Think You Can CookHere are the other recipes brought to the book club potluck:

  • Pumpkin Juice (inspired by Harry Potter):
    http://foodinliterature.com/food-in-literature/2014/05/copycat-harry-potter-pumpkin-juice-recipe.html – with the following changes: 1/2 C apricot preserves instead of apricot nectar and none of the sugar.
  • Biscuits (inspired by Becoming Lady Lockwood):
    http://www.bhg.com/recipe/quickbreads/biscuits-supreme/
  • Ham & Cheese Quiche (inspired by Green Eggs and Ham): Beat 4 eggs with 1 C heavy cream and 1 C milk, season with S+P, pour into a baked pie crust; add feta cheese, diced ham, and chopped asparagus; top with shredded cheddar cheese; bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F.
  • Aloo Matar (inspired by The Namesake)
  • Brockhall Badger Carrot Cakes (inspired by Redwall): Combine 3/4 C mashed potato with 6 oz grated carrot, 6 oz grated onion, 1/2 C bread crumbs, and 2 tsp fresh parsley; drop spoonfuls of the mixture into a frying pan with a little oil and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes.
  • Layered Raspberry Yogurt Parfaits (inspired by The Cat in the Hat)
  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (inspired by If You Give a Mouse a Cookie): Beat 1/2 C + 6 tbsp butter with 3/4 C brown sugar and 1/2 C sugar; add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla; in a bowl whisk together 1 1/2 C flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt and add to butter; mix in 3 C old-fashioned oats and 1 C chocolate chips; bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Tomato and Bean Salad

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Late spring and summer this year have been fairly wet. All of the rain yielded quite the tomato crop over in my neighbor’s yard. Which means just about every week I’m being given fresh homegrown tomatoes! (Black cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and roma tomatoes) I’ve even been handed two quarts of homemade tomato sauce.

This pregnancy I’ve found that I adore tomatoes. BLTs have been shamelessly scarfed down for lunch at least once a week, and those cherry tomatoes turned into my favorite salad (tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, S+P).

I took a play on that aforementioned salad and added beans and basil to make a heartier potluck contribution at a church function.

Tomato and Bean Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 very large heirloom tomato, chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used Gourmet Garden lightly dried basil)
  • 1 heaping tbsp minced red onion
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp agave
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, gently toss together beans, tomatoes, basil, and onion.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars, oil, agave, and garlic. Season to taste with S+P.
  3. Dress salad and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve (at least 30 minutes).

*This recipe is adapted from Rebekah at http://rebekahrose.blogspot.ca/2015/07/bloggerclue-white-bean-tomato-and-basil.html*

tomato bean salad | sew you think you can cook

A Breakfast Potluck

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Last week the gang got together for what has to be my favorite themed potluck yet – breakfast!

I was torn between making my cinnamon rolls (sans cranberries) and a new twist on my coffee cake. I decided on the latter simply because it’s a much easier dish to make, especially having just returned home from vacation.

I decided to try putting fresh cherries in the center of the coffee cake. Brilliant idea, if you ask me. I’ve really been on a cherry kick lately, and it’s a fruit my little man enjoys snacking on, too. (I was very close to adding blueberries to the filling as well – next time!) For the topping I decided to go with dark brown sugar and cocoa powder instead of my typical cinnamon. The subtle smokiness of the dark brown sugar and the hint of chocolate complimented the cherries beautifully. A perfect summer breakfast treat.

Be sure to scroll past my recipe to see what other creations joined the buffet line!

Cherry Coffee Cake

Ingredients for topping:

  • 3/8 C flour
  • 1/3 C dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 1/2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 C rolled oats

Ingredients for cake:

  • 2 C + 1 tbsp flour, divided use
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla paste (I used Nielsen-Massey)
  • 1 C Greek yogurt (I used Stonyfield Organic)
  • 1 1/4 C pitted and chopped fresh cherries

Steps:

  1. Make the topping: whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Using your fingers, break the butter into small pieces and combine with the topping. After combined add the oats. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with foil and grease.
  3. Make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together 2 C flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla paste.
  5. Incorporate a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined add 1/2 C of yogurt. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Once combined add the last 1/2 C of yogurt. Add in the final third of the dry ingredients.
  6. Toss cherries in remaining flour.
  7. Assemble the cake: Place half of the cake batter in the prepared cake pan. Evenly distribute the cherries and top with remaining batter. Top the cake with the topping from step 1.
  8. Bake for 65 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
  9. Allow cake to cool for at least 5 minutes and remove the cake from the pan by the foil. I found this flavor of coffee cake to be best served warm.

cherry coffee cake Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here’s a sampling of the other dishes brought to the breakfast potluck:

A BBQ Potluck

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

This month a smaller than normal group got together for some barbecue food. Due to scheduling conflicts with the neighborhood clubhouse we had to meet on a Thursday instead of a Tuesday. It’s also travel season now that school’s out. But that didn’t stop us from having some fantastic food!

BBQ potluck

Here is a sampling of the recipes brought to the BBQ potluck:

I am really excited for our meeting in a couple of weeks when we’re having breakfast!!

    #HotSummerEats: Mexican Corn Salad

    ~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

    HotSummerEatsToday is the first day of #HotSummerEats, a blogging event headed up by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. To kick off the week I went in a Mexican direction – it is Mexican Monday after all!

    My favorite thing about summer produce is the fresh corn on the cob. I pretty much only make it one way but have always been intrigued by the Mexican Corn on the Cob you see from street vendors. But I imagine it to be super messy. Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of plays on this favorite snack by taking the corn off the cob and turning it into a side dish. I jumped on the bandwagon and I’m so glad I did! We loved this corn salad and used in on tostadas and in tacos.

    caribeque logoTo add a little punch of flavor to the salad I used the spice blend Island Thyme from Caribeque. To say we like this blend would be a big understatement. Twice now I have sprinkled it on pork chops for a quick weeknight dinner, even serving it to guests who enjoyed it as much as we did. I’ve even used it compensate for taco seasoning when I’d used up the last of my supply and needed a couple tablespoons more. My little man liked the corn salad (he picked out the corn and wouldn’t touch the Feta) and he’s gobbled up the pork seasoned with Island Thyme, too!

    Mexican Corn Salad

    Ingredients:

    Steps:

    1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thawed corn and allow corn to char about 5 minutes – don’t stir too often but don’t let the corn burn.
    2. In a bowl whisk together the mayo, cilantro paste, garlic paste, lime juice, and Island Thyme seasoning.
    3. Add the corn, onion, and jalapeno. Mix until combined. Gently fold in the Feta.

    *This recipe is modified from Danielle at http://www.mostlyfoodandcrafts.com/2015/05/mexican-street-corn-salad.html* (Wow, I just realized Danielle is one of the #HotSummerEats bloggers! Too funny.)

    Mexican Corn Salad for #HotSummerEats from Sew You Think You Can Cook

    Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more summertime recipes today:

    Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds, Pirate Jonny’s, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish , and Voodoo Chef for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation. All opinions are my own.

    recreatedbysrc

    A Fiesta Potluck

    ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

    I know it’s a little “late” to be sharing a slew of Mexican recipes but rarely does anyone ever eat Mexican food ONLY on Cinco de Mayo! Besides, it’s Mexican Monday!

    On May 5th my friends and I had a Cinco de Mayo potluck. As can be expected, our fiesta theme brought everyone out of the wood-works and we had a great turnout and more importantly amazing food!

    The day before the party my friend came over to help me make these Papel Picado Banners to put on the bar below the food. I think it really added some holiday flair to the place. And it was fun to be crafting something. Thankfully both of our babies napped at the same time and we were able to tackle this project quickly.

    Fiesta Potluck

    Here are most of the recipes from the night:

    IMG_4821I brought my baby baked beef burritos to the party, which ended up being a perfect potluck food. I doubled the recipe, accidentally quadrupling the amount of black beans, to yield 33 burritos. (I left 3 of them for Stuart) I was able to make the beef mixture while the little man was taking a nap and while he was playing happily at my feet with the tupperware cabinet I rolled up the burritos. I then baked them in two batches (because my oven is small) right before leaving the house. I put foil between each layer of burritos to keep them warm. (I felt like a caterer!) IMG_4822Stuart had to stay at work late that night so I brought my son to the party until he could be picked up. I let him try all of the food off my plate and he ended up eating the filling of three burritos! (I took 8 of them home with me when the party was over and we both enjoyed them for lunch the next day, too.)

    Next month we’ll celebrate summer with a BBQ themed potluck!

    A Spring Time Potluck Party

    ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

    When we moved to Ohio my neighbor told me about a group of gals who get together once a month for a potluck. As soon as we were settled in I knew I had to go with her to one of these events. And I’m so glad I did – I’ve made many friends through this group and there’s always someone new to meet.

    The person who organized this club moved at the end of March and I have since taken over the organization. We always host the event at one of the neighborhood clubhouses so all I have to do is bring the collection of plates, cups, and bowls and make sure the clubhouse is cleaned up when we’re done. But the fun part is getting to be the one to pick the theme for the month’s potluck!

    A Spring Time Potluck

    For April we did Spring. We had such a vibrant and colorful display of food. Here are just some of the recipes from the night:

    • Mango Black Bean Salad: 2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 mangoes (diced), 1 red bell pepper (diced), 1 bunch scallions (sliced), 1/2 C chopped cilantro, 1 jalapeno (minced), 1/2 C red wine vinegar, zest and juice 1 orange, zest and juice 1 lime.
    • Creamy Cucumber Salad: 1 cucumber (thinly sliced), 1 tsp salt – laid flat and then patted dry after an hour. 1 tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp minced onion, 1 tsp chopped dill, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar – combine and refrigerate for an hour before tossing with prepared cucumber slices.
    • Pineapple Fried Rice: I don’t know if she used my recipe but it was very similar – https://sewyoucancook.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/pineapple-fried-rice/
    • Spinach and Strawberry Salad: 4 C baby spinach, 1 pint strawberries (sliced), 1/2 oz sliced almonds – for the salad. 1/4 C sugar, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 C red wine vinegar, 1/2 C EVOO – for the dressing.
    • Fruit Salsa: 32 oz strawberries (diced), 8 oz raspberries, 3 kiwis (chopped), 1 golden apple (diced), 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp fruit jelly.
    • Lemon Squares: 2 C flour, 1 C butter, 1/2 C powdered sugar – whisked and pressed in 9×13″ pan, 20 minutes @ 325deg. 4 eggs, 4 tbsp flour, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 2 C sugar – place on crust, 20 minutes @ 325deg.
    • Chocolate Cheesecake Filled Peanut Butter Bundt Cake: https://sewyoucancook.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/bundtbakers-hidden-surprise/

    I was caught up in making sure I had everything needed for hosting my first potluck that I forgot my camera! A big thank you to my friend Emily for remembering to take some pictures. So, I’d like to give her a little shout out – Emily is a very talented crafter and has started her own blog, Emmy’s Crafty Corner! Please go check it out, I promise you you’ll find something unique!

    Next week we’re throwing a Cinco de Mayo party – and I couldn’t be more excited! Stay tuned next time for a round up of Mexican favorites, even if it’ll be after the holiday.